Introducing Ezra From "Star Wars Rebels"

The producers behind the upcoming Disney XD animated series "Star Wars Rebels" have introduced one of its main characters today - Ezra (voiced by Taylor Gray).

In the series, which is set between the original and prequel trilogies, Ezra is an orphaned teenage con artist with special abilities who has no interest in becoming a revolutionary. He ultimately helps the Rebel Alliance over take Imperial Forces on his home planet of Lothal.

Ezra comes to be mentored by 'Cowboy Jedi' Kanan Jarrus (Freddie Prinze Jr.), a Knight who went into hiding after Order 66 was put into place by Emperor Palpatine. Producer Dave Filoni tells TV Guide:

"To survive, instinctively every now and then when he's in a jam he uses the Force. He doesn't call it that. He doesn't know that's what he's doing. He thinks he's got some abilities that are a little strange every now and then, but they help him out. It's instinctive, it's reactionary.

With Ezra we see how a kid is reacting to this imperial rule. That becomes a big question: What is imperial rule like? We've seen it in the movies with a big rebellion that ends up blowing up the Death Star, but do we just assume that when the Empire took over in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith it was seen as a bad thing?

I would challenge that. It wasn't this terrible thing that came in and was cruel to everyone all at once. It was slow to build its power base and spread out, and then we get to see the rebel alliance it affects, and the repercussions of that tyranny."

Two new trailers for the series are set to debut early next week. Meanwhile, photos of tie-in product for the series at the upcoming Toy Fair in New York City this weekend showcase two of the ships to be seen in the series - 'The Ghost' and the 'Phantom'.

The photos also reveal two more character names from the series - Hera Syndulla and Zeb Orrelios. See those photos up at USA Today.